Insulating Film?

Which of these windows has the film?

My house was built in 1923. Most of the windows were replaced with energy efficient vinyl windows by the previous owner. The windows in my living room were not, and it's easy to feel how much the cold comes in through them. I decided to try that insulating film that you seal on with a hairdryer to see if it helps to lower my heating bill this year. The package said it increases the R value of your window up to 90%. I don't know what that means in dollars and cents, or in energy savings, but I'll let you know. I actually hate that film, I think it's tacky when I see it. But whatever. It only cost $8.50. You stick double stick tape around the edge of the windows, cut the film to size, and stick it to the tape. Then you take a hairdryer to it which shrinks the wrinkles out of the plastic. It actually worked pretty well, which made me realize I've probably seen many windows with this film and didn't know it. I've only realized it with the people who did a crappy job applying it. In the photo above I have applied the film to one window. Can you tell which one it is?

I am at the end of my 90-day adventure. It sure has been an eventful three months, especially right here at the end. I think I've made some significant steps toward living leaner on less that I would never have made without this blog. Let's reflect:

- Replaced all bulbs with compact fluorescents

- Started making my own household cleaners

- Grew and ate my own food

- Replaced my water heater with an energy efficient one and saved a couple hundred bucks by installing it myself

- Took a baby step toward bike commuting

- Washed my car myself instead of paying for a car wash (okay, that was only once)

- Painted my porch railings with recycled paint

- Implemented the envelope/cash system to help me stay on budget

- Brought lunches to work and ended my New Season's money-sink habit

- Stopped spending money on wine... temporarily
- Researched harvesting rainwater

I am proud of myself! Thank you to my followers for supporting me, and to everyone who read my blog and commented privately. It has been a great tool for changing behavior as well as a wonderful outlet during a difficult time in my life. I may keep it going under another guise... another adventure.... but I need to figure out what my next goal is.

Happy Halloween!

I am completing Week 1 on the new spending plan. I think I have done alright. I was already aware of how much I spend on food and I am really aware now. I really noticed all the times I wanted to go buy food and chose not to. Nearly very day! Whether it's a snack from the vending machine, stopping at the grocery store because I don't want what's at home, or wanting to try a new recipe. Ugh! I ended up spending $25 on food this week. I've got a $150/mo budget. I spent $10 on frozen pizza and a bottle of wine. Then I spent $15 on ingredients for making vegetarian chili. The chili made six servings and turned out mediocre, so now I have to suffer through the rest of it. I hate when that happens. I froze one serving, and I've eaten two servings, so I only have three more to suffer through. I didn't officially start my new budget until after I bought groceries last weekend. I've got $20 in that envelope until next Friday. I'll need to get creative at the grocery store this week.

Today I worked on the yard. I aerated my lawn with my little Lawn Butler which was a nice workout. I wanted to topdress with my own compost, but I'm not sure it has decomposed enough. My coworkers gave me a gift card to Portland Nursery to get a memorial tree for my dad, so I went to scope out some options. At first I thought I wanted something small to pot. But then I realize that all trees start small and grow really really slowly. So I could get a regular tree really small and pot it. Then later plant it when I end up in a house I think I'll be in for more than a few years. That is the plan anyway. I'm still not ready to commit to anything. But I did get some plants for a winter container on my porch. It's been sitting on the porch empty since I smothered and killed my Portland Marathon tree with snapdragons and marigolds over the summer. I spent $13. I'm calling that entertainment since that envelope has money and the home maintenance and repairs envelope doesn't. My budget for entertainment is $160/mo. I plan to spend $9 at the Women's Show tomorrow and then I have dinner plans next Thursday. The dinner plans I think technically comes out of the food envelope but I might take it out of entertainment. I think my food allowance might be too tight. This is hard.

Oct. 27: The Money I Could Be Saving

The money I could be saving (but not by switching to Geico)

Folks, I am not doing well on the living lean part of my adventure. In fact, just these past two weeks I spent a ton of money. Clothes, manicures and pedicures, food, good wine, hotels, and a hefty speeding ticket somewhere between L.A. and San Luis Obispo. I've returned to my normal life and I'm attempting to turn over a new leaf in my spending habits.

I was inspired by Terri, who recently went to see a financial advisement guru named Dave Ramsey. A lot of his concepts make a lot of sense and I'm ready to try a couple. He says that our culture has grown accustomed to debt, and we view having loads of debt as okay. Remember when our parents used to make us save up our allowance before buying something? What happened to that? Dave stresses focusing on eliminating debt as fast as possible, one loan at a time. And one way to get there is to operate in cash as much as possible. It's more painful to fork over cash than it is to swipe a card. I set up an envelope system for all my non-bill items like food, entertainment, home repairs, etc. I have a budget for each one and only put that much cash in. When the cash runs out, that's it until the next refill. And I'm starting by attacking my car note full force. I still have four years left on the note, but I'm hoping to pay it off in two. Then onto the student loan. This is going to take a while.

It's only been two days on the plan but so far so good.

In loving memory of Jerome Camil Zuber, 1938-2009

Photo taken within the hour before passing

I am standing upon the seashore. A ship at my side spreads her white sails to the morning breeze and starts for the blue ocean. She is an object of beauty and strength. I stand and watch her until at length she hangs like a speck of white cloud just where the sea and sky come to mingle with each other.

Then someone at my side says: "There, she is gone!"

"Gone where?"

Gone from my sight. That is all. She is just as large in mast and hull and spar as she was when she left my side and she is just as able to bear the load of living freight to her destined port. Her diminished size is in me, not in her. And just at the moment when someone at my side says: "There, she is gone!" There are other eyes watching her coming, and other voices ready to take up the glad shout: "Here she comes!"

And that is dying.

Author: Henry Van Dyke

Soup Season

I tried to go to my cancer support group last night but I-84 was at a standstill. There must've been an accident but I never saw it. I was incredibly late so I just went home. That's a fun time to battle horrible traffic for almost an hour only to veer off and go home anyway. Grrr. Hopefully next week. Instead, I swapped out my summer clothes for winter clothes, did some laundry, and made a delicious soup.

It's October, the weather's cooling off, and it's the beginning of soup season! I made one of my favorite soups, cauliflower and broccoli soup with gruyere. I got it from the What's Cooking Vegetarian cookbook that I got from Powell's a couple years ago. It's so hearty and delicious, and a great way to get your vegetables. The heartiness comes from taking half the vegetables out and blending them, then putting them back in. I enjoyed it in a big mug my mom made accompanied by a piece of my loaf-of-crap bread. It was the best. Here's the recipe:

Ingredients
3 T olive oil
1 red onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
10 ½ oz cauliflower florets
10 ½ oz broccoli florets
1 T all purpose flour
2 ½ cups skim milk
1 ¼ cup vegetable stock
¾ cup grated gruyere cheese
Pinch of paprika
2/3 cup light cream (I use fat free half and half)
Paprika and gruyere shavings to garnish

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan and sauté the onion, garlic, cauliflower and broccoli for 3-4 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the flour and cook for a further 1 minute, stirring.

2. Stir in the milk and stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
3. Remove about a quarter of the vegetables and set aside.

4. Pour remaining soup in a food processor or blender and blend for 30 seconds until smooth. Transfer the soup back to the saucepan.

5. Stir in the grated cheese, paprika, and light cream and heat gently for 2-3 minutes without boiling or until the cheese starts to melt.

6. Transfer to warm soup bowls, garnish with shavings of cheese and dust with paprika.

Congratulations to Kara and Scott!

Oh! And of course, congratulations to Kara and Scott. They just welcomed their new baby girl into the world, Grae. She is adorable.

Mmmm... What a Yummy Loaf of Crap

It's been a good weekend. Friday night I had my couples class, the second to last one. This session has flown by.

I had an interesting time at the salon on Saturday. I got my eyebrows waxed at the Aveda Institute for the second time. The student I had the last time was fabulous. The instructor who checked her work was way too hard on her, but as a result I walked away with fabulous eyebrows. They really do frame the face. This time the guy I had took me to the hair washing station. I was like, "Um, maybe you have the wrong Sarah. I'm here for an eyebrow wax." He's like, "No, this is the wax right here." Strange. After he applies the wax he has trouble getting an edge to lift to rip it off. He's like, "I wish I hadn't cut my nails, those damn manicurists." I thought about making a joke about leaving his pinky nail long, but then people might think he did blow. I bit my tongue. Then he proceeds to tell me how he loves waxing eyebrows, it's one of his favorite things, aside from cut and color. They have to try every service once. And the Brazilian wax is definitely one he'll only do once. Thank goodness it was his sister. WHAT?! I said, "Uh, wasn't that too much information about your sister?" He said, "I would rather it be a family member than a total stranger." Does anyone else find that disturbing? That's the LAST thing I want to see on my brother!!!

After the brow wax I went to Erica's baby shower. I had a blast. I hope Erica did too. Wonderful hostesses and great company.

Saturday night I had my monthly Spanish dinner with Angela and Kellee at Lupe's Escape. It's a great little place in Beaverton. Always a great time visiting with those two. I admire their language skills. They put me to shame but I learn a lot. What was that new word I learned -- Fulano? Kellee says it means John Doe, Angela laughed and said she thinks it means asshole. Maybe I shouldn't use it just to be safe.

Today I did chores around the house, gardening, grocery shopping, and a long run. The usual Sunday activities. I made a veggie meatloaf last week, one of my childhood favorites (the real thin I mean) and I attempted to bake a loaf of white bread to make meatloaf sandwiches for lunches this week. I was supposed to let it rise to double in a 200 degree oven, about an hour. It wasn't doubled in an hour so I left it in longer. But when I pulled it out it already had sort of a crust. And then I was supposed to roll it out, and then roll it up into a cylandar (sp?) and let it rise to double again. It didn't rise to double. So I just threw it in the oven, at a lower temperature than it was supposed to bake at and longer, in hopes it would rise in the oven. No such luck. As you see, I ended up with a loaf of crap. Ah well, I plan to make soup this week, perhaps it'll make decent bread for the soup.

Oct. 1: Cancer Support Group Review

I went to my first Family and Friends of Cancer Patients support group last night. I've been meaning to go for a few weeks, and even went once but arrived so late I didn't go in. I was really nervous for it last night. I've been facilitating groups for four years now, yet I've never been in a group myself. It was so hard to walk into a room of complete strangers and know I was about to bare my heart to them. I have new respect for the brave souls in my current Anger Management and Couples Problem-Solving groups! There were only three other group members, plus the facilitator, yet we used the entire two hours. She basically just went around the room and let everyone have the space to speak for a chunk of time. Just whatever went on that week, whatever was on their minds. They had all been in the group for a minimum of several months, they were all the caretakers, and only one was staged as far along as my dad. It was helpful to hear everyone's story and struggles. And it was especially helpful when it got around to me. I didn't know where to begin, I reflected over the past two years, it was all so overwhelming and there was so much to share I could hardly get the words to come out. The group was amazing, they were just so kind and supportive to me. They really understand what it's like, how your whole life perspective changes in an instant. The constant roller coaster, the fickle beast that is cancer, teasing you cruelly with momentary upswings and then crashing down on you again. All the emotional ups and downs during each day. Struggling through a workday, irritated at all the insignificant crap that people get riled up about. And thinking, "Oh my gosh, if only... If only that were my biggest worry!" At the end of group, one guy made a really strong pitch for the group, what it has meant to him and the change he has seen in people who join. It was a compelling pitch for me to go back. The facilitator asked at the end: "Are you coming back next week?" And I said, "I don't know yet. I'm a little overwhelmed and I need digest this experience first." I feel bad about that, but it's the absolute truth. It's almost like this group brings feelings to the surface that I've been stuffing, and it feels dangerous for me. I'm precarious already and is bringing all this to the surface just going to push me over the edge, where I just can't function anymore? Or maybe it'll be uncomfortable at first, and then once I "catch up" on everything I've been stuffing, I'll be healthier in the end. I know groups work. I know support is paramount in being able to cope. I know this in my head. I just have to convince my heart now. I'm 85% sure I'll go back next week.

Sept. 27: I'll never eat that other crap again!

Pole beans in my garden

My pole beans were ripe today so I went out and picked them all. I thought I'd be swimming in them, but turns out I only had enough for one recipe. Do they keep producing more or was that it?

I may be the only person on the planet that loves green bean casserole. You know, that dish served on Thanksgiving made from a can of cream of mushroom soup, a couple cans of green beans, and a can of those crispy onion strings. Good stuff. So I thought I'd make a fresher version and see if it held a candle to the "real thing." Oh my gosh, I'll never eat that crap from a can again! This is the best recipe ever. I got it from the Best Recipes Light cookbook. Once you get a taste of this, you'll never go back. I made some modifications which I'll put in parentheses below.

Skillet Green Bean Casserole
1 t olive oil
8 oz white mushrooms, wiped clean and sliced 1/4 inch thick (I can't stand these mushrooms so I only used about 6 oz and minced them beyond recognition)
1 medium onion, minced
Salt
3 medium garlic cloves, minced
1 t minced fresh thyme
Pinch cayenne (I used four dashes)
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth (I used vegetable broth, of course)
1/4 c dried porcini mushrooms, rehydrated, minced, and rehydrating liquid strained (I used shitake mushrooms because that's the one mushroom I like, and it added a nice woody flavor)
1.5 lbs green beans, ends trimmed (I used whatever came off my plant, I think it was about that much)
1 t cornstarch
1 T water
3 T light cream cheese (I used regular because it's what I had)
Ground black pepper
2 T grated Parmesan cheese

1. Combine the oil, white mushrooms, onion, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a 12-inch nonstick skillet. Cover and cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms release their liquid, 5 to 10 minutes. Uncover, increase the heat to medium-high, and continue to cook, stirring often, until the liquid released by the mushrooms has evaporated and the mushrooms are browned, 2 to 5 minutes

2. Stir in the garlic, thyme, and cayenne, and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the broth, porcini mushrooms, and strained mushroom liquid (~1/4 cup) and add the green beans. Increase the heat to medium-high, cover, and cook until the beans are tender with a light crunch in the center, 6 to 9 minutes.

3. Push the green beans to one side of the skillet. Whisk the cornstarch and water together, then pour into the empty side fo the skillet and bring to a simmer, about 30 seconds. Whisk the cream cheeseinto the sauce until smooth. Toss the sauce with the green beans and continue to cook, uncovered, until the green beans are tender and the sauce has thickened, 1 to 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle with the Parmesan before servings.

6 servings, 100 calories per serving.

Skillet Green Bean Casserole

Sept. 24: Meet My New Energy Efficient Friend

Me & Whirly

Well, I had an unexpected event today. I awoke to my water heater leaking and a big puddle on the floor. The carpeted floor. You see, my hot water heater is in the back of my bedroom closet. Just one more weird thing about my jimmy-rigged 1920s house. After clearing everything out of the closet, and sopping up all the water with towels, I tried to locate the leak. There were several. I did some poking around on the internet. Maybe I just need to snug up the water line fittings. Done. Still leaking. Maybe I just need to flush it and let off a little pressure. Hooked up the hose to the drain spout and drained for about 15 minutes. Still leaking. Ugh! With the help of a couple coworkers I found a plumber that could come out at 2:00 to take a look and give me an estimate.

In the meantime, I thought I remembered that my sister had replaced a water heater on her own before. I called her, and turns out she has replaced two - one for her main house and one for her guest house. Jackpot! With her guidance I decided to tackle this project on my own and I called off the plumber. Honestly, if it weren't for Jill doing all these home improvement projects before me, I'd never have the confidence I do to tackle them myself. Thank you, Jill, you truly are an inspiration to me. Thank goodness you were born first.

I headed to Lowes and the sales guy was super helpful, he had replaced his own water heater just three days before. I loaded it all up in the back of my Jeep and took it home. I'll spare you the details about the agony of draining and disconnecting everything, a trip back to Lowes for more supplies, hoisting the old one out and the new one in, and ripping out all that nasty soaked carpet. But eight hours, $300, and a scratch on my bumper later, I have hot water! That's a photo of me and my new friend, Whirly. You'll have to excuse my haggard, sweaty look. It's been a long day. And bonus - I'll get $35 from the Energy Trust of Oregon for upgrading to a more efficient model. Wahoo!

Sept. 22: Plum Terrific!

Plums!

I had a tough day last Thursday, and I took a personal day off of work. I was walking to Albertsons grocery store with my reusable bag when I passed by my neighbor up on a ladder picking plums from her plum tree. She offered me as many plums as I wanted, and do you know I teared up at the offer. Just the generosity felt like a hug I so desperately needed. I put a bunch in my bag thinking I'd make a plum pie with them.


Sunday I was taking a dip in the tub after my last 20-mile run before the Chicago Marathon, and I was reading Prevention magazine. They had a recipe for Plums with Sour Cream and Ruby Syrup. I tried it tonight, and it smells great, though I admit I haven't tasted it yet. I threw it into tupperwares to take to work. I don't like sour cream so I've eliminated it, but here's the full recipe anyway.

Ingredients:
1 lb plumbs sliced
1/4 cup sugar
Freshly grated zest of 1 orange
Freshly squeezed juice of 1/2 orange
1/4 teaspoon minced rosemary
1/2 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons chopped walnuts

1. Put plums in 8-10" skillet over high heat. Sprinkle with sugar, orange zest, orange juice, and rosemary and stir. When plums begin t give up their juice and sugar dissolves, cook 2 minutes, then turn off heat. (In all, this should take about 4 minutes) Allow plums to cool in pan at least 10 minutes. Transfer plums with slotted spoon to 4 bowls (or double the recipe and transfer to 2 tupperwares like me).

2. Bring juices to a boil over high heat. Cook until thick and syrupy, about 1 minute. You should have about 2 tablespoons.

3. Dollop 2 tablespoons of the sour cream on the top of each bowl of plums and drizzle with syrup. Sprinkle with 1.5 teaspoons of walnuts over each serving.

Finished product!

Sept. 19: Increasing Energy Efficiency

The bulbs are good for the earth -- but look at all that packaging going to the landfill!

My bathroom fan broke about a week and a half ago. It was making some funny noises, then one morning I went to flip the switch before hopping in the shower and nothing. Light fine, fan broken. There's not a separate circuit breaker for the fan. The previous owners of my house left the manual for just about everything -- including the screen door -- so I referred to it in hopes of finding a Trouble Shooting section. No such luck, but I did see how it was put together and that the fan was separate. Last week I went to Lowes and stared at the wall of bathroom light/fan combos for a while. They range from $75-200. Am I better off hiring a handyman to diagnose the problem and perhaps replace just a part? Or am I better off just buying a whole new light/fan and replacing it myself? Probably the latter in terms of cost, but not in terms of conservation. Today I got a wild hair and decided to take the fan apart myself and just see if I could 1) find a replacement motor, 2) replace it, and 3) have that actually be the problem. I went back to Lowes. Side note, I've boycotted Home Depot ever since a sales guy said, "why don't you just have your man do it?" when I was in the middle of replacing the bathroom faucet and realized I needed longer supply lines. Not the thing to say, especially when I'm clearly in the middle of a project and having to make another trip to the hardware store. He got an earful. Anyway, Lowes had one bathroom fan motor in stock, and it was exactly the one I needed. I installed it, and as luck would have it, that was indeed the problem. I only spent $14.97 and now I have a fully functional (and quieter) fan!

While I had the step ladder out, I thought about the rest of the light fixtures in my house. They were about 1/3 compact fluorescent lightbulbs, but the other 2/3 were not. Isn't that one of the most basic things someone looking to go lean and green would do? CFLs not only use 75% less energy -- around the tune of saving $32 over the life of each bulb -- but they also last a lot longer at an average of 10 years. Less bulbs in the landfills, less of me on a stepladder changing bulbs, less energy use, and less money in the long run. A win-win-win-win. Granted, the upfront cost is more than a conventional bulb. Replacing seven regular bulbs and three ceiling fan bulbs cost $38.87. I went with the fancy, non-coiled kind which are about $1 more each. And, while I was at it, I went ahead and replaced the filter on my furnace. Now my house is humming with energy efficiency.

Sept. 18: Jalapeno Burns

Why did I not know that you can get skin burns from handling jalapenos? My thumb and index finger were on fire today and I didn't know why... and I realized I scooped out the seeds with those two fingers. I googled burn and jalapenos, and wouldn't you know, there is such a thing! Apparently you're supposed to wear gloves... lesson learned.

Sept. 17: Some Like it Hot

Baked Jalapeno Poppers

Ingredients

First off, a shout out to my first two blog followers, Andrea and Kate. Holla! Andrea, fellow diver and water polo player, locker partner, blonde knockout, fierce and determined, and a dear and loyal friend. And Katie, a tiny little redhead with a big personality, educator, strong woman full of wisdom and heart, and my soulmate of a best friend that I've known for 26 years. Thank you for your support.

Well it continues to be a rough time with my dad in and out of the hospital three times since Saturday. His cancer continues to grow and spread and the pain has become intolerable, even for him. This is a man who dropped a refridgerator on his foot and shattered it while helping my sister move, and kept going. If he's complaining of intolerable pain, it is absolutely unimaginable for the rest of us. It looks like we're going hospice from here on out. Which, according to NCI (National Cancer Institute), that's for being comfortable and preparing the patient and family for death when there's less than six months to go. Today I had lots of dizzy spells and nausea, presumably from stress. What do I do? I was going to visit for Christmas, but is there time? How do you know? Do I load Abbey in the Jeep and drive to Arizona? Then maybe I could stop by my alma mater, I haven't been to New Mexico since I moved to Portland nine years ago. Or maybe I could cross the border and spend a week or two in Mexico. Find a little place to rent on the ocean. Or maybe I save that trip for the funeral. Nothing soothes my soul like travel, especially to the ocean. I'm just feeling like I just want to escape it all. It hurts my heart to think of my dad in pain. My bathroom fan broke and I read the manual, but there's no troubleshooting section. I would normally call my dad in this situation and ask what to do. I know I can do it with a little guidance, I've changed light fixtures and ceiling fans. It just hits home how much I'll miss about him.

So, with all this grief and stress, what do I do? While cook of course! I picked more broccoli and basil from my garden and made a pasta salad. I also I got these jalapenos from the farmers market the other day and decided to make jalapeno poppers with leftover cream cheese I used for the frosting on a red velvet cake a couple months ago. No letting things go to waste! (except I threw out half a wedge of brie today - ugh) After I sliced the peppers open and took out the seeds, I touched my mouth. And holy hell my lips are still on fire! I think those must be some hot jalapenos! I used Panko for the first time. Anyone used it? Apparently it's Japanese breadcrumbs that are light and especially crispy. We shall see if they are really all that. So here's the finished product, I have to admit I'm a little afraid of them. Do they look like pure heat to anyone else???

Sept. 15: Does this thing have a reset button?

Do you ever wish you could just hit the reset button? Just put things back the way they were and start over? I had such a day yesterday. I just wanted to go back, start over, and make different decisions.

First, it was Monday. Mondays are always busy and stressful at work and I don't take a break. No break, mistake #1. Then after my regular job, I skipped dinner, and observed an Anger Management group. No dinner, mistake #2. I'll be facilitating my own group in a couple weeks. On my drive out to Clackamas for the group I learned my dad is back in the hospital. I almost turned the car around, but thought maybe it's better to be distracted by work than to wallow by myself at home. Well, the Anger Management group is not a light-hearted experience. Mistake #3. At 9:00pm I headed home, after a 13-hour stressful workday and a family emergency, drained and exhausted in every way. I stopped at the grocery store and bought a bottle of wine and a bag of BBQ Wavy Lays. Mistakes #4 and #5. I got home, poured myself a glass of wine, opened the bag of chips, and began stirring the pot with someone I care about via text. Mistake #6. Unable to turn my mind off I stayed up to the wee hours of the morning, making it incredibly difficult to drag myself to work. Mistake #7. It's like I said to myself, "Hey, you're feeling bad. Let's see what all we can do to make it worse." That's seven decision points I would handle differently, if only I could push the reset button. Ugh.

Sept. 13: When Life Hands You Tomatoes... Make Romesco Sauce!

Is anyone else swimming in tomatoes right now? I can't keep up with the crop! I picked another full bowl of them and they sat in my kitchen for a few days. I had to do something with them or else they would have gone bad. And we know I'm not letting things go bad these days. If you're swimming in tomatoes too, you MUST try this sauce.

A couple months ago my friend Angela and I went out for dinner at Toro Bravo, a great tapas bar in North Portland (www.torobravopdx.com if you must know). We ordered a couple tapas to share and a couple for our own, the perfect way to handle eating tapas with a vegetarian as far as I'm concerned. For her own tapas plate, Angela got seared scallops with romesco. Neither of us had heard of romesco, and it was absolutely DIVINE. I had to sample the sauce after Angela practically melted into her seat on the first bite. It's so rich and thick and full of nutty garlicky goodness. It tastes like there's parmesan or romano, and cream, but no! It's not nearly as naughty. Angela later found a recipe online and shared it with me, I saved it, and I finally made it tonight. That's it up there in the photo, in another Sylvia Zuber original bowl (love you Mom!) . Oh my gosh. You must try it. Just the smell of the garlic and tomatoes roasting in the oven and permeating throughout my house... I almost had to eat my arm.

I adapted this recipe: http://www.finecooking.com/recipes/romesco_sauce.aspx (thanks Angela and Kris!). I just used the tomatoes from my garden (see previous post for a photo) and I used a blender instead of a food processor cuz I don't have one. I didn't know how to blanch almonds so I'll tell you - just put them in boiling water for 30 seconds and drain. Then grab those suckers by the fat end and squeeze to pop the almonds out of the skin. I couldn't get the GD skins off the hazelnuts so I just freaking left them on. It's fine.

You can put this sauce on seafood or meat, on veggies, on pasta, dip pieces of bread in it, use it as a sandwich spread.... or just eat it by the spoonful like I did tonight. ;-) Enjoy.

I'll Make You Zucchini Pancakes, Pretend Like It's the Weekend Now

Last year I planted three zucchini plants and ended up absolutely swimming in zucchinis. I ate them every which way you can imagine. This year I only planted one and I've been looking forward to making this recipe. Part pancake, part savory, and all yummy goodness!

2 eggs
2 zucchinis, shredded
1/2 onion, grated (get ready to cry)
1/2 cup flour
1/4 cup grated parmesan
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon dill
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

In a large bowl, beat the eggs. Mix in the zucchini and onion. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir to combine. Heat a teaspoon or so of vegetable oil in a skillet over low-medium heat. Spoon the mixture onto the skillet and you'll need to use the spoon to flatten them out a bit. Brown on both sides and serve warm. Makes about a dozen small pancakes.

Sept. 12: Farmers' Market Day

I started my day today with a visit to my neighborhood farmers' market. Every year I get so spoiled by getting the most beautiful produce, direct from the farmer who grew it, that I turn my nose up at the grocery store crap in the winter. It's just so absolutely fresh and full of flavor, and keeps for so long. Probably because it didn't spend days on a ship or truck being transported here from who-knows-where.

Alright, while shopping at farmers' markets are a great way to reduce impact on the environment while supporting local farmers, it's nothing new for me. I'm realizing that I haven't been making a big enough effort. What else can I do? I'm running out of ideas. Ugh.

Abbey and I went for a hike today on one of my favorite trails, Angels Rest. It's out in the Columbia River Gorge about 30 miles west of Portland. It climbs up to a little mesa with a spectacular view of the gorge. About five miles round trip. That was my cross training today, and cheap entertainment, just the cost of gas.

Sept. 9: Nourishing the Soul.... and Stomach

Today was a bit of a rough day at work. I looked forward to checking out a support group after work, a free drop-in group for friends and family of cancer patients at Providence. The group started at 5:00 and I had a 4:00 meeting with my supervisor, who just returned from a two-week vacation. Not surprising, our meeting went all the way to 5:00 and I missed the group. I still drove over there so at least I could see where it was and where to park so I can get there easily next week. The hospital was surprisingly quiet and there is a cancer wing, where the support group is held. As I was walking down the hall, and into the Cancer Center Lobby as announced by a huge sign and fountain, tears welled up in my eyes. Just walking into the lobby and seeing the sign! I think that means I waited too long. I'm sure I'll be a blubbery mess next week, but hopefully it'll be a nice place to get support, validation, and learn to cope as best as is possible. Oh, and it's free. :-)

So I came home and made this delicious pasta salad, a modified version of a tasty pasta salad I've gotten at Whole Foods. Cooking is another way to nourish my soul, and my stomach. It's whole wheat pasta, spinach, roasted red pepper, and cubes of smoked mozzarella. The dressing is mayo, white wine vinegar, garlic, italian flat leaf parsley, grated parmesan, and a dash of cayenne. It's simply delicious, this picture doesn't do it justice.

I've noticed that a lot of my posts and photos revolve around food. I guess that's because I love it so much! And the more I cook tasty things, the less I am tempted to eat out. So far it's looking like another week of bringing my lunch to work every single day. That's success.

Sept 8: Labor Day Weekend Recap

I had a pretty low-key weekend so the fact that I'm not writing in my blog until now is sheer laziness. Overall I stuck to the plan and had a successful weekend. I have been off wine for four days now and it is hard! It was hard to walk past that aisle at the grocery store this weekend. I hope it gets easier.

I started my Saturday with 10:00 AM Yoga class, which I haven't been to in a couple months. It was a rainy day and the class was absolutely PACKED. It was a great class and I left feeling refreshed and invigorated. The Hollywood District farmers market is a couple blocks away from my gym so I went straight over there after yoga. Despite the rain there were just as many people as there normally are. A little rain doesn't keep Oregonians indoors! I spent most of the day getting groceries, cleaning (with homemade cleanser), doing laundry, and cooking for the week. I made some empanadas con queso from scratch, including roasting poblano chiles from the farmers market. Yum.

Sunday morning I got my first 20-mile long run done on trails in Forest Park. It was raining, I was slow, and it hurt, but I got the miles done and that felt good. I always love coming back from a trail run muddy. I spent the rest of the day recovering between a long soak in the tub and laying on the couch downing fluids.

Monday morning Erica and Terri came over for a Labor Day brunch, instead of going out for breakfast. That was purely in an effort to save money. Go team! I meant to snap a couple photos for the blog but forgot. (Thanks to Andre for his Norwegian Pannekaken recipe - I made them!) Everything was delicious and it was great company. Afterward Terri and I went to the Pearl District to check out sidewalk sales. I ended up getting a top half off from Anthropologie, but I didn't need it and I think I'm going to take it back. Why do I keep rewarding myself for saving money by spending money? It just doesn't make sense. We did stop for coffee, but at least I chose the iced coffee for $1.60 instead of the iced mocha for $3 as I would have done before.

And now, back to the grind of the work week.

Sept. 4: No Wining Allowed

Gosh do I love wine. I really do. I love to end my day by relaxing and sipping a delicious glass of wine. I love to knit with glass of wine. I love to take a bubble bath with a glass of wine and jazz playing on the stereo. I love to have a glass of wine while I cook. And there are really so many great wineries in Oregon, so many great wines. But the reality is, it's an expensive habit with no real nutritional value. Sure, some say red wine is good for the heart, just like dark chocolate. But get real, my heart doesn't need help, I'm young and active. So it's time to cut this money pit out of my life, or at least reduce it. Special occasions only seems reasonable. And special occasions never happen alone. So there we go. It's public. No more wine.

Sept. 3: Worrying is like paying interest on a debt you don't owe

Today was a worry wart day. I spent some time worrying about work, about my property taxes due next month, about financing a trip in the Spring, about my dad fighting stage IV colon cancer. And then I spent some time in the garden after work and my worries melted away. I mean look at those beautiful artichokes and blackberries! That's what life is all about, getting back to basics.

Score one for Sarah today, I avoided a trip to the vending machine by bringing Chex to snack on in the afternoon. Even after being lured by my boss! ("Sarah, I'm heading down to the vending machine, want to come?" "No thank you, I've got my tasteless corn Chex!") I wonder if I could sprinkle some herbs on them to make them taste better. Gotta use up that GD cereal since I'm not letting anything go to waste. Ugh.

I bought my tickets to Chicago for the marathon this week. At the same time I'll be earning the last miles toward my ticket next Spring. I can't wait for my visit to my hometown. My favorite season to visit Chi-town is the Fall. Absolutely gorgeous. It almost makes me want to move back... but not quite.

September 2: Indigo Granita, Office Dishes, & Cloth Napkins

Courtesy of www.juliemorris.net

A friend just told me about Julie Morris' website which is devoted to "an eco-friendly exploration of simple, flavorful, and natural food made for fabulous living and wellness." Check it out, I for one am dying to try this Indigo Granita that packs an antioxident punch with blueberries and acai. (Thanks Miel!)

I just finished eating my brown bag lunch, and I'm proud of myself for not going to the New Season's to buy lunch. I used to get their delicious $5 Caesar salad at least once a week. I think I have gotten it once in the last three weeks since starting this endeavor. I made flour tortillas from scratch last night, as well as a filling of aborio rice with red chile, onions, tomatoes, crumbled feta, and sliced almonds for crunch. I brought them to work in separate reusable tupperwares. But then I realized I needed a plate for the assembly, and so I grabbed a paper plate from the stash available to us in the break room. And then tossed it after I finished lunch. How wasteful! I already have a desk set of flatware, and a mug and a bowl too, don't ask me how they ended up here. I never use the mug and bowl. But a plate I would use, I need to bring a plate.

Which got me to thinking about cloth napkins, as I tossed that paper towel away with the paper plate. I can't remember the last time I used a cloth napkin outside of a restaurant. It seems most people use paper. Imagine all the trees, all the energy and pollutants during production, packaging, and transportation of paper napkins. The current US population is 307,341,590 (http://www.census.gov/main/www/popclock.html). If half the population used one paper napkin every other day, that's 2.8 billion napkins per year going in the trash! Cloth napkins you just toss in the wash, right? Seems easy enough. And would save money in the long run, so it's a win-win.

To Color or Not to Color

Today's post is about living leaner and trimming my spending habits, the hardest part for me of this adventure.

I got my hair cut on Saturday and resisted the very strong temptation to get highlights. Good job Sarah! As a reward I bought myself some Bumble and Bumble thickening spray. ($40 haircut+$8 tip+$24 styling product = $72... ugh) Okay maybe I shouldn't have rewarded myself for saving money by spending money. Baby steps.

I used to color my hair, starting at age 28 when I found my first gray hair. I'll never forget it. I was in graduate school and I was sitting in class one night twirling my hair around my finger. I glanced down to see one really light, really scraggly hair, and realized it was my first gray. The room spun and I yanked it out of my head. I thought I am waaay to young to be going gray so I went straight to the hair salon. Coloring is expensive, and once you're on that path you have to keep it up. Because roots are not cute, ever. And I was getting two processes: darkening part, and highlighting part. After a couple years of forking out lots of dough (close to $200/visit?), and not knowing how much gray I really had, I decided to phase it out. I got fewer highlights over two visits just to transition the grow-out. And finally after a couple years growing it out I am back to my natural color. There's a few grays in there, but not noticible unless you're up close looking for them. I'm okay with that.

But, now I just think my natural color is this dark blonde blaahhh. I really want to start highlighting again. Really bad! But it's a total waste of money! I'm not doing it myself, that just seems like a disaster waiting to happen. And call me a snob, but I can spot a drug store job a mile away. How can I justify spending money on something so unnecessary? Maybe I can focus on harm reduction instead of all out abstinance. Yesterday I was looking on the Aveda Institute website (www.avedapdx.com) to see how much they charge. In a desperate moment I got my brows waxed there once and the student did a great job and was closely supervised by her instructor. Getting highlights there would be $35+. That's so cheap! That too could be a disaster waiting to happen, but hopefully the instructor would be closely supervising again. But the biggest thing I'm worried about is CHEATING on my hair stylist! Is that ridiculous? I'd feel utterly guilt-ridden the next time I went in for a haircut. Ugh. Guess I'll let it perculate a bit longer.

August 30: A Nod to Cabbage Patch Kids

Courtesy of http://www.awkwardfamilyphotos.com/

First of all, HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM! I love you and miss you.

This post isn't about going lean or green, but it was too funny not to share. A friend brought this wonderful photo to my attention last week which was posted on the above website. If you need a good laugh, visit that site. I forwarded the link to some coworkers and we all laughed about it. My boss said, "The funniest thing is someone actually paid for these!" Anyone born in the 1970s had a cabbage patch kid. They were these really ugly dolls with ridiculous names and you took an oath promising to be a good "parent." As we're telling stories about our own CPKs, I realize that I actually had my own awkward photo taken with my CPK, Charmaine Belvadina. My brother was going into the Air Force Academy and we had to meet with Senator Grottburg, and apparently I though it'd be a great idea not only to take Charmaine but also include her in the photo. The only thing more awkward than that is the fact that the Senator held me... and I was eight years old. Enjoy....

August 27: Ripe for the Picking

The tomatoes are finally ripe for the picking in my garden, and I picked a bunch tonight. I planted two kinds this year, don't ask me what they're called but they're pictured above in a bowl my mom made (Mom, you rock!). Don't they look delicious?

I grew most of my vegetable garden from seed this year. You know how you get a gazillion little seeds in one envelope, and they're only good for a year or two? What a waste! So a couple coworkers and I swapped seeds with each other. Brilliant! I hope we do it again next year. The down side is that I started my seeds indoors a little late, and add onto that a slow start to the Summer, so everything's producing later than usual.

I already ate the lettuce. It was so fun to go out and pick off a few leaves to put in a sandwich, or on burgers, or to make spring rolls. Weren't those spring rolls delicious, Teresa? The lettuce, a fresh basil leaf from the kitchen herb garden, julienne carrots from the Farmers Market, rolled up in rice paper and dipped in spicy peanut sauce from Trader Joe's. Yum!

I just cut off a head of broccoli last weekend and made a pasta salad with it, along with some fresh basil. Broccoli direct from the garden is so flavorful, it almost has a peppery taste. I cut it down pretty far so I should get at least one more head out of it.

I picked a couple zucchini a couple weeks ago and made zucchini bread. There's a few more babies out there that aren't quite ready. I have to keep an eye on those or all of a sudden they'll be the size of my thigh. I can't wait to make zucchini fritters, a recipe Kara gave me a couple years ago, in exchange for the Zu-Canoes recipe from Moosewood.

The artichoke plant has three little heads on it, it's gorgeous! I'm not sure how big they're supposed to get or when I'm supposed to pick them. I am tempted to pick the biggest one, but then again, it's so beautiful I don't want to pick it just yet.

The spaghetti squash is trailing all over the garden. I'm not sure how to control that one. I think it'll bloom later so maybe all the other veggies will be cleared out anyway and it can have all the space it wants to meander.

The pole beans are all the way up the pole and going crazy, but not a single bean is growing! What's up with that? My coworker said her's was like that and then suddenly overnight she had a bunch of beans. Maybe one of these mornings it'll be covered in beans. Or maybe I've actually planted magic beans that'll reach all the way into the sky and through the clouds to a giant's house.

August 22: Make Your Own Household Cleaners

Today's adventure was to make my own environmentally-friendly household cleaner. Over the Winter I attended the annual Fix-It Fair in my neighborhood hosted by the Portland Bureau of Planning and Sustainability, which is this AWESOME event with booths and classes all day long all about creating a healthy home.

One class I attended was on household cleansers. They taught us about all the hazardous ingredients, and some safer, more sustainable options. For example, oven cleaners. Why would you clean your oven with something that instructs you to open the windows to avoid breathing dangerous vapors? So you can bake it into your food next time you use the oven? In fact, why would you clean any area you use to prepare food with something that you couldn't safely ingest? I picked up a handbook with safe alternatives and this weekend decided to make my own cleanser. It worked great! Honestly, even better than commercial cleaners. Here's the recipe I used to mop the floors:

All-Purpose Cleanser:
1/4 cup vegetable soap*
1/2 cup distilled white vinegar
2 gallons water

* I got Dr. Bronner's with Tea Tree oil at New Season's for $5, next time I can refill the bottle from the bulk section and reduce waste from packaging. I've seen Dr. Bronner's at Trader Joe's too.

If you're interested in learning more about green cleaners, click here: http://www.oregonmetro.gov/index.cfm/go/by.web/id=24199

If you're interested in finding a Fix-It Fair near you, click here: http://www.portlandonline.com/bps/index.cfm?c=41892

August 16: A 15-Year Streak is Broken!

I finally rode a bike today for the first time in 15 years! Here's me during my first few pedals. I was wobbly and precarious, but the saying is true: you never forget how to ride a bike.

The bike ride was inspired by a new Bike Boulevard I recently learned the city is putting in right past my house almost all the way to work. An elevated bike lane, reversed stop signs so cross-traffic has to stop, speed bumps to slow cars down. It's fate, just as I'm beginning my adventure to go green[er], the universe throws me a bike boulevard. I figured I owed myself (and the universe) another go at riding bikes.

We did the Waterfront Loop which was about 12 miles starting along Springwater Corrridor, across the Sellwood Bridge, up the waterfront, and back across the Steel Bridge. We stopped for snacks and lots of pictures. My butt was sore, but all told, it was a fun experience. Thanks to my friend Erica for loaning me her bike and a big thanks to Terri for embarking on this bike riding adventure!

Check out the link for the Bike Boulevard project: http://www.portlandonline.com/transportation/index.cfm?c=50518 It's the North-Northeast Going boulevard!

Day #3 Recap

Victories

• None to speak of really

Slips

• Broke down and got a bag of Ghardetto's from the vending machine at work. Need to have more snacks at work.

Costs

• Bag of Ghardettos: $0.85

Insights

It was kind of a blah day. I really didn't institute any changes. I've been thinking about changing my commuting habits. If I take Tri-Met to work it's actually more expensive than driving, and takes longer, but friendlier toward the environment. I think the universe is telling me to bike commute -- my neighbor and coworker told me her bike commute only takes 25 minutes door-to-door. That's only 10 minutes longer than driving. AND (here's the exciting part), the city is making a new bike boulevard that goes past my house and almost all the way to work. They're making a raised bike lane, reversing stop signs so cross traffic has to stop, and putting in speed bumps to slow cars down. Here's the link: http://www.portlandonline.com/transportation/index.cfm?c=50518. I haven't been on a bike in 15 years... time to test the saying, do you really never forget how to ride a bike?

Day 2 Recap

I just hand washed that car yesterday -- and now it's RAINING!

Victories

• Brought leftovers to work for lunch today. Half of a burrito from Laughing Planet
• Supported a local yarn shop
• Helped a neighbor hoist a chicken coop into their backyard. Fresh, local, humane eggs in the Spring!

Slips

• Stopped at the grocery store on the way home from work to buy dinner since I didn't want anything I had at home. Bad. Very bad. And it's only Day 2
• Spent a lot of money on yarn, but it's for a baby shower gift

Costs

• Frozen pizza and a bottle of wine: $11
• 4 skeins of merino wool yarn: $27

Insights

This is freaking hard. I've already fallen off the wagon! And I hated watching my hand-washed car get rained on today... grrrrrrrr!!!

Day #1 Recap

Victories

• Washed my car myself
• Made all my meals, and used food I had (mostly -- see below). Including a quinoa pilaf with leftover onion, tomato, frozen corn, lime juice, and the chile peppers someone from work brought in from their garden last week
• Planned lunches ahead for the week

Costs

• $2.89: Eggs and milk

Slips

• Well, I did go out and buy eggs to make zucchini bread, but that's not really a slip is it? And I also got milk because I'm going to make myself eat the cereal I bought for making Puppy Chow. No more letting things go bad and then throwing them out. I REALLY wanted to go buy chips to eat while watching Dr. Phil. But I resisted... mainly because I knew I'd have to admit to it here

Insights

So often I buy food for one recipe and let the rest go to waste. The basil I bought to make pesto shrivels to a slimy mess in the refridgerator drawer. The baguette goes stale and the brie grows mold that I thought would be a good snack one night and then didn't feel like eating it again. NO MORE!!!

Saving Money Tip #1 - Make More Meals - Greek Scramble!

Alright, so I called in sick to work and therefore have the time to make my meals today. I made a greek scramble for breakfast, I wish I could have used spinach from my garden but it's pretty puny still. Here's the recipe:

2 eggs
2 cups spinach leaves
3T sliced olives
2 links veggie sausage
2T feta
1T olive oil

Heat a skillet over medium heat for a couple minutes. Beat the eggs in a small bowl. Microwave the veggie sausage links for about a minute, then slice them. Add olive oil to skillet and let heat for a minute. Add spinach to skillet, cook until wilted. Pour eggs over the spinach, let the eggs set up just a little bit. Pull eggs away from the sides of the skillet to let the raw egg pour down to get cooked. Push the eggs around a bit. Before they're all the way cooked, add the feta and mix around. Shortly after add the olives and veggie sausage. Salt to taste after plating.

Here we go!

Day 1. I am joining the blog-o-sphere. This blog is about my adventures in saving money and going green(er), hopefully at the same time.

First off, I want to track my spending out here, publicly, for accountability. I got the idea from a study I worked on using food diaries as a tool for weight loss. It's effective. Writing down everything you eat helps you see what (and how much) you actually eat, and someone else reviewing your food diaries keeps you accountable. So why wouldn't the same theory apply to spending? I'm sure it does!

Second, I want to incorporate more environmentally sustainable habits into my life. I consider myself to be pretty concious already, but I'm ready to push the envelope a little further. I realized how wasteful I still am as I was cleaning up after a house project yesterday. I replaced the rotting plywood surface of my deck with pressure treated wood. As I was walking that old wood around to the trash can, I started contemplating how I could repurpose it. Any ideas?